This book provides novel and critical insights into the complex relationship between politics of memory and oblivion in European countries in the 20th and early 21st centuries as well as the cultural, political and institutional backgrounds against which they function. It explores the uses of the past in terms of a conscious choice to either reactivate or overlook memories as selective reference points for the promotion and legitimation of contemporary political goals. The chapters of this volume bring together theoretical discussions on the interrelationship between remembrance and purposeful oblivion as active processes that serve particular interests and ideologies in the present. By addressing the diverse meanings given to practices of memory, the contributions offer new perspectives on how institutions shape cultural memory, power relations and identity projects. Politics of Memory and Oblivion in the European Context: Critical Perspectives will be of interest to scholars and graduate students from the fields of memory studies, heritage studies, cultural studies, history, and political science who engage with the legacies of violent and traumatic pasts, post-colonial contexts, societal transition and reconciliation. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, European Politics and Society.

The book focuses on international cultural relations dealing with cultural heritage in terms of heritage diplomacy. The contributors discuss the potentials and limitations of heritage diplomacy and how it could be approached in theory, policy, and praxis. Cultural heritage is an essential element in transmitting values, establishing narratives of historical and contemporary connectivity, and creating subjective and collective identities and a feeling of belonging. During the past decade, the potential of cultural heritage for state foreign policy and in international heritage governance has attracted increasing interest among heritage scholars. This potential, however, remains under-researched in the broader spectrum of international cultural relations. This volume aims to critically explore the previous research on heritage diplomacy, develop its theoretical basis and scope, and thereby extend the discussion to new topics and themes. The articles extend the discussion of cultural heritage from its role in ‘soft power’ and foreign policy to a dialogic approach within international cultural relations. Such an approach deconstructs existing hierarchies in domestic and international power relations and understands cultural heritage as a contact zone that fosters people-to-people connectivity and cooperation based on trust. Heritage Diplomacy: Discourses, Imaginaries and Practices of Heritage and Power will appeal to upper-level students, researchers, and academics interested in Heritage Studies, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, International Relations, and Policy Studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of The International Journal of Cultural Policy.